Piano



April 3, 1928.

C. E. BLALACK ET AL PIANO Filed March 12, 1925 hk me: n Nada N E R Z A d 5 3 M Patented Apr. 3, 1 928 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcs.

CHAR-LES E. FLALAOK AND Gnome H. ECKSTEIN, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

PIANO.

Application filed March 12, 1925. Serial No. 14,967.

This invention relates to a musical inst-rumentand per-tainsmore particularly to that class of instruments which are adapted to be constructed for service as toys. The inven tion is adapted to be embodiedin a miniature piano. More particularly the present invention appertains to an instrument having a set of music bars sounded by hammers.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an instrument of the character 'described which is simple in structure, economical to manufacture,whose arrangement is adapted to be placed in a small case simulating an upright or grand piano. In addition to the broader objects of this invention there are certain details ofstructure, whereby a compact, durable, and strong device is obtained.

These objects together with other objects and corresponding accomplishments are ob tained by means of the embodiment of our inventionillustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the complete instrument; Fig. 2 is a. section as seen on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. is a section as-seen on the line 3'3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing details of structure, more specifically the music bar and hammer assembly.

Referring more particularly to the 'drawing, a case 5 is provided, which case may be conveniently made of stamped metal. The case resembles an upright piano and is pro'- vided with an instrument board comprising keys 6, The keys 6 arranged in a row extend into the casing being pivotally mounted in a slot formed in a key plate or frame 7 extending the length of the key board. Each of the keys has a nitch 8 in which the key rail Wall of the plate 7 rests. The keys may be held in position by a piece of felt 9 inserted between the upper face of the keys and the wall of the slot. Such a construction provides for easy assembly of the keys. The ends of the keys have apertures 10 for receiving links 11.

Secured in the case below the keyboard is a plate12 having an. opening extending lon-.

gitudinally thereof, the opening being marked by 13. Struck up from the edge of the opening are prongs 14, the prongs being arranged in pairs, the members of which are on opposite sides of the opening. Music bars 15 arranged in a row rest upon the plate 12 over the opening, being loosely held in position by the prongs 14 which are disposed in apertures in the bars and held against displacement by a laterally turned portion of the prongs; This mounting is best shown in Fig. 1. The music bars may rest upon felt strips 16 extending along the edges of the opening. striking duced.

Ears 17 are provided on the plate 12 and extend downwardly. These ears are bored to provide bearings for a shaft 18 which extendsthe length of the case. Journalled on the shaft 18 are hammers 19 arranged in a row, one for each music bar and its corresponding key.

These hammers may be conveniently made of stamped metal comprising a flat body having ears 20 serving as bearings and a head 21. The links 11 may consist of wires extending through the openings 10 in the keys and through similar openings in the hammers. The ends of the links are bent laterally as best shown in Fig. 4, thereby The construction is such that upon a bar, a: musical note will be provfastening the keys and hammers together.

A key is struck r The operation is obvious. thereby rocking it, raising its link andmoving the corresponding hammer upwardly so as to strike from below and sound the proper music bar. Upon release of the key, the weight of the parts is such to cause the hammer to gravitate to its inactive position as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the key also being restored. In the present construction, the parts are so arranged that they may be installed in thelower portion of the case, thereby better permitting a construction simulating an upright piano the keys, hammers, and music bars being arranged in a tier with the music bars interposed between the keys and hammers. The parts are also of such a nature that they may be economically made and assembled.

hat We claim is:

1. In a toy piano, the combination of a case having key mounting, a row of keys pivotally disposed therein and extending into the case, said case having a. music bar support disposed therein, a row of music bars mounted on said support, a shaft extending along and mounted upon said support, a roW of hammers pivotally mounted on said shaft, each hammer being formed of sheet metal having lateral bearing ears at one end and an upturned head at the other, said keys and said hammer having aligned holes, link rods loosely extending through said holes and having laterally directed locking ends, said keys, music bars and hammers being arranged in a tier With the row of music bars in the center.

2. In a toy piano, the combination of a case having a key mounting, a row of keys pivotally disposed therein and extending into the case, a music bar support plate Within said case having an opening extending longitudinally thereof, a POW of music bars transversely spanning said opening, said plate having brackets struck up there from, a shaft extending along the length of said opening and mounted in said brackets, a row of hammers pivotally mounted on said shaft and located so as to strike said bars through the opening of said plates, and operating links connecting said hammers and keys, said keys, music bars and hammers being arranged in a tier With the lOW of music bars in the center.

3. In a toy piano, the combination of a case having a key mounting, a row of keys pivotally disposed therein and extending into the case, a. music bar support comprising a plate having an opening extending longitudinally thereof, said plate being disposed in said case, music bars transversely spanning the opening in said plate, said plate having brackets struck up therefrom, a shaft extending along the length of said opening and mounted in said brack ets, a row of hammers for said bars mounted upon said shaft, and operating links connecting said han'nners and keys, said keys, music bars and hammers being arranged in a tier With the row of music bars in the center.

4. In a toy piano, the combination of a case having a key mounting, a row of keys pivotally disposed therein and extending into the case, a music bar support disposed in said casing and comprising a plate having an opening extending longitudinally thereof, said plate having prongs struck up therefrom on opposite sides of said openings, a roW of music bars having holes at the ends through which said prongs are passed so that said bars are loosely mounted thereon, the ends of said prongs being bent laterally, hammers for said bars mounted so as to strike the bars through the opening in said plate and operatively connecting said hammers and said keys, said keys, music bars and hammers being arranged in a tier with the row of music bars in the center.

5. In a toy piano, the combination of a case having a key mounting, a row of keys pivotally disposed therein and extending into the case, a music bar support comprising a plate having an opening extending longitudinally thereof, said plate having prongs upstanding therefrom at the edges of said opening, a row of music bars transversely spanning said opening and having holes at the ends thereof through which said prongs extend, said prongs being bent laterally to lock said bars in position, said plate having brackets struck-up therefrom, a shaft extending along the length of said opening and mounted in said brackets, a row of hammers pivotally mounted on said shaft and arranged to strike said bars through said opening, said keys and said hammers having aligned holes, link rods loosely extending through said holes and having laterally directed locking ends, said keys, music bars and hammers being arranged in a tier With the row of music bars in the center.

6. In a toy piano, the combination of a case having a key mounting, a row of keys pivotally disposed therein and extending into the case, said case having a music bar support disposed therein, said support comprising a plate having an opening extending longitudinally thereof, a row of music bars transversely spanning said opening, said plate having brackets struck up therefrom, a shaft extending along'the length of said opening and mounted in said brackets, a row of hammers formed of sheet metal each hav ing lateral bearing ears at one end and an upturned head at the other, a shaft extending along and mounted upon said support, said hammers being pivotally mounted on said shaft Which extends through said ears, said keys and said hammers having aligned holes, link rods loosely extending through said holes and-havinglaterally directed locking ends said keys, music bars and hammers being arranged in a tier with the row of music bars in the center.

7. In a toy piano, the combination of a music bar support comprising a plate having an opening extending longitudinally thereof, music bars transversely spanning said opening, said plate having brackets upset therefrom and extending below the plane thereof, a shaft extending along the length of said opening and mounted in said brack ets, hammers formed of sheet metal, each hammer having lateral bearing cars at one end and an upturned head at the other, said hammers being pivotally mounted on said shaft which extends through said bearing ears, said keys, music bars and hammers being arranged in a tier with the row of music bars in the center.

8. A music bar support comprising a plate having an opening extending longitudinally thereof, said plate having prongs upstanding therefrom at the edges of said openings, music bars transversely spanning said opening and provided with holes, the prongs extending loosely through the holes in said 10 bars, said keys, music bars and hammers be ing arranged in a tier with the row of mu sic bars in the center.

In witness that We claim the foregoing We have hereunto subscribed our names this 6th 15 day of March, 1925.

CHARLES E. BLALACK. GEORGE H. ECKSTEIN. 

